Living Again
by Leia Belle Organa
Summary: Set during 3x18-3x22. As much as he tries to get over her, he can't. Stefan needs Elena, as much as she needs him.
1. Chapter 1

**Alternation of Elena and Stefan in 3x18**

**What if Elena didn't just leave Alaric's apartment? What if she only pretended to? **

Chapter 1:

Misleading Ears

_Uhh! _Elena sighed to herself in disgust. She could not believe that Damon had just shut the door right in her face. She knew Stefan was there too, listening to every word spoken between them. She couldn't see him, or Alaric, but knew all too well that they were there, plotting out "plans" of how to kill Klaus. Always leaving her out! She hated this! Well, not this time, this time she would barge herself in. Only she had to catch them off guard, they could not expect her to still be here. She knew Damon would be listening for her to leave, before anymore plotting took place. So, Elena started to walk towards the stairs. She walked down them and opened the main door of the apartment building. She paused and silently closed the door. She looked for another way back to Ric's room, fortunately there was a back set of stairs.

"Down the stairs, through the door, and out she goes," Damon spoke, narrating Elena's exit. "Oh, two coffees." "Elena must have planned on staying here, Ric," he added.

Alaric sighed, "Yeah, but instead of her company, I'm here with you!"

"Upgrade," Damon replied, with a smirk.

"Okay, guys, enough, let's get back to the plan," Stefan interjected.

Elena quietly made her way back to the upper floor. She heard their voices and hoped they didn't hear her. _Damon, what an ass! _She said to herself.

"At least Elena's out of this, she'll be safer," Alaric reasoned.

Stefan nodded, yet he knew that keeping Elena out of the loop was a constant bad choice, they had always made.

Elena couldn't take any more of this. Hearing those words, she grabbed the door knob and thrust it open, exposing them, and revealing herself.

"Hell with that!" she screamed. "That is where you're wrong!"

"Elena!" Stefan cried.

"I knew I should have locked the door," Damon sighed, in disgust. "Sneaky little thing, aren't you."

"You're all so busy plotting your "master plan" that you couldn't even hear me coming up the back way," Elena snapped. "So, now that I'm here, where I belong, you three** jackasses** are going to tell me what the hell is going on!"

Stefan bent his head down in shame, knowing she was right. She deserved to be a part of this. "How much do you know?" he asked.

Elena turned to look at him, "I know that the Wickery Bridge sign is made of white oak." "And you have cut into twelve stakes," she explained.

Stefan, Alaric, and Damon stood there in utter shock, amazed that she already knew their plan.

"Well, fine, you're certainly in now," Damon scoffed.

Damon, then, elaborated his plan on how to take down the Originals.

"So, which one do we choose to kill?" Elena sharply, asked.

"Well, Finn might be the easiest, he already wants to die," Damon replied.

"But, now that Sage is in the picture, it might be difficult to lure him into our trap," Stefan added, with a voice full of concern.

"I'll let you handle that, since Sage and I… well…" Damon started. "Knows I'm out to kill them."

Stefan sighed, "Fine, I'll do it."

"I'm going with you!" Elena, firmly, stated.

Stefan looked at her, and couldn't help but smile at those words.

"Fine, and meanwhile, I'll take Ric to our place, where I can keep an eye on him," Damon exclaimed.

"Keep him on the herbs, Bonnie made for him," Elena ordered. "Damon?!"

"Of course, wouldn't want him killing us, now would we?" Damon sneered back.

Now, that they had made their plan, Damon helped Alaric carry his things out of the apartment, leaving Stefan and Elena alone.

"Hey," Elena softly, spoke, rubbing his arm. "Are you okay?" "How are you feeling?" "Why have you been avoiding my calls?"

Stefan looked straight at her, wanting more than anything to hold her as close to him as possible, but knew he shouldn't. He knew he had hurt her too much.

"I... I, uh… I'm doing better," he answered. "I'm sorry I avoided you, but I just can't…" Stefan stopped in his sentence, he just couldn't bring himself to tell her how he really felt. It was getting harder and harder to hide from her.

"Stefan, it's okay, I'm here," Elena reassured. "And I'm going to help you."

"Please stop trying, Elena, it's no use," Stefan snapped, shrugging off her arm. Only, Elena didn't protest, instead, she wrapped her arms around him, tightly embracing him. She whispered, "There's nothing that you can say or do that will make me do otherwise!"

Stefan felt tears fill up in his eyes, he couldn't stop himself from wrapping his own arms around her.

Elena felt like she was going to cry, when she felt his touch. Just that simple gesture meant more to her than anything else ever could.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2:

With Me or Not

Elena raced out of the diner towards Stefan. "Hey, how is he?" she panically, asked.

"Hey," Stefan replied, turning towards her, putting his phone away. "He's just banged up, Caroline is going to stay with Alaric, to make sure Alaric stays Alaric." "Matt texted me, said that Finn is still at the grill, we need to plan our next move."

"Wa-Wait, Rebekah has Damon, our next move should be finding him," Elena stated.

Stefan turned around to face her, "No, we need to stay on point, see and Original, kill and Original, that's the plan."

"Yeah, that was the plan, before Damon's life was hanging in the balance!" Elena shot back.

"Look, Elena, I understand you're concerned about my brother's life, but if he even knew for once second that we were talking about missing a chance to kill these people, he would lose his mind!" Stefan snapped.

"Yeah, and if the roles were reversed, he would stop everything to save you!" Elena fired back.

Stefan looked at her in bewilderment, "I know what my brother would want."

Elena shook her head, "What he would want and what we should do, are two different things."

Stefan was taken aback by those words. Elena saw concern, filling in his eyes. Yet, Stefan only shrugged, "Look, are you going to help me with this or not?"

Elena was about to respond, but wanted to think out her answer.

"Okay, I'll figure it out myself," Stefan hissed, walking pass her, leaving Elena dumbfounded.

She thought about his words, he was right, they had to go through with the plan, only they had to find a way to save Damon, too. She hated seeing Stefan like this. She knew, deep down, he was just putting up a front. He was still afraid to show his emotions. He had suffered so much at the hands so Klaus, yet so had she.

Elena turned around and saw him storming off. She hated fighting him! She hated being apart from him! She wouldn't let herself let him go, not anymore. He needed her, as much as she needed him.

"Wait, I'm coming with you!" she shouted, racing after him. "Stefan, wait!" "I'm sorry!"

Stefan heard her and saw her run up to him, "Why would you need to apoligse?"

Elena stopped to catch her breath, "Because, I know you're right, and I know you want to save Damon, you're just afraid to show your emotions." "But, I know the real you and I won't let you go through this alone, any longer!" Elena finished, hugging him. As she kissed his cheek, she whispered, "I love you, Stefan."

Stefan, now dumbfounded himself, had no clue how to respond. _How does she do it? How does she always catch him off guard? _He wanted to tell her, he loved her too, yet couldn't find the nerve, so he simply embraced her. They broke apart and Stefan wrapped his arm around Elena's shoulder, as they started towards the grill.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3:

Vervain Tequila

When they entered the grill, they instantly spotted Finn and Sage, sitting at one of the tables.

"Hey, guys," Matt greeted, walking up to them. "Is there anything else I can do?"

"Yes, there is," Stefan replied. "When they try to retaliate, have Jeremy's crossbow ready."

Elena couldn't help but be worried, what if things didn't go as planned? There was the possibility that they might be killed, instead.

Stefan motioned her towards the bar stools, Elena followed him. Matt walked around to the back of the bar counter and pulled out a try of shot glasses.

Stefan and Elena both pulled out vials, filled with vervain. "Tequila?" "Really?" Elena questioned, rolling her eyes.

"That's all they've ordered," Matt stated.

"It'll do," Stefan added.

He and Elena took a few shot glasses of tequila and mixed the vervain in them. "When they order more, serve theses," Stefan directed.

"Be careful, they know you, it be better if we had someone else serve them," Elena suggested.

Stefan smiled at her, secretly happy that she was here with him, "She's right, have another waiter serve them these."

"Gotcha," Matt replied, grabbing his table clean-up towel and an empty tray. "Here it goes."

Elena sighed, sinking into her stool chair. "Hey," Stefan spoke, wrapping his arm around her. "You okay?"

"I'm fine, it's just that…"Elena began. "I'm just worried about you, I don't want you to get hurt." "I can't even bear the thought!" she finished, as her tears started to fall.

"Hey, it'll be all right," Stefan comforted, trying his best to reassure her. "I'll be fine, you'll be fine, too." "We'll get through this together!" he firmly, stated.

Elena smiled at him, feeling overjoyed to hear that wonderful word, "together." That word meant the world to her. "We will, as long as we're together." "We'll survive this."

Stefan smiled, kissing her forehead. "As long as we're together," he repeated.

A few minutes later, they could hear Sage talking Finn into trying some tequila.

"You've never had tequila before?" Sage asked, shaking her head in disbelief.

Finn shook his head.

"Seriously that's embarrassing!" I'm embarrassed for you," Sage muttered.

Finn shook his head.

Finn picked up the glass, and Sage lifted hers, they cheered each other and gulped it down.

"Ah," Finn said, adjusting himself to the taste. "Happy now?"

"I am truly awed by the evolution of man-kind," Finn remarked.

Just then, a mysterious man approached their table. "Hey, Sage," he greeted.

"Hey, Troy," Sage greeted back.

Troy smiled at Finn and walked away.

"You know him?" Finn asked.

"I turned him," Sage flatly, stated.

"You "turned him?" Finn repeated, in shock. "Why?"

"Because, I'm in enemy territory, Finn, when your brother and sister called me, I thought I might need a little back-up." "You can't trust anyone here!" Sage exclaimed.

Finn had to sit back, once he heard those words.

Matt walked over to their table to pick up their used glasses. Sage automatically grabbed his arm. Matt, now terrified, glanced at her. Finn rolled his eyes, while Sage ordered, "Two more tequilas." Matt forced himself to smile, in relief. "Yeah, cool, I'll let you're waitress know," he replied, placing their glasses on his tray. Then he turned and walked away from the table.

"How many people have you turned?" Finn continued.

"I don't know, a lot," Sage replied. "Don't judge me Finn, you turned me."

"Exactly Sage, I turned you, my passion overtook my morals," Finn bluntly, stated.

"My passion overtakes my morals on a daily basis," Sage said, challengingly.

Finn cocked his eyebrows.

"It's called living life to the fullest," Sage finished.

Stefan and Elena knew it was time, so Stefan pulled out his phone and began to text "Get ready."

He and Elena got up and left the bar table, when they saw the waitress place two tequila glasses on their table. "Finally," Sage sighed. "Thanks."

Sage made a toast, "To living life to the fullest."

"To living life," Finn countered.

Sage laughed as they gulped down their tequila. "Ahh!" Finn shouted, spitting up the drink.

"What the hell!" Sage cried.

"Vervain!" Finn hissed, as he turned and saw Elena and Stefan exiting the grill. Sage glanced in their direction. Stefan and Elena glanced back at them. They each cocked their eyebrows, smiling, deviously, as they exited through the back door.

Once they were outside, they knew they only had a few moments before they'd be attacked.

"Elena, go back in through the kitchen door," Stefan ordered.

"No!" "I won't leave you alone!" Elena sounded back.

"Elena, we don't have much time," Stefan cried. "Please, do this, for me," he pleaded, as he cupped her face. "I promise, I won't get hurt."

"I'll make sure of that!" Elena stated. She turned and walked down the stairs, towards the door.

Stefan knew that he would never let anyone hurt her, either. He hid himself behind the back of the building, waiting for the attack.

Finn and Sage burst out of the grill. Stefan waited a few seconds, then he lunged himself on Finn. Finn and Sage, both countered him and knocked him over. Stefan hit at the top of the back stairs. The fall caused him to lose his grip on the stake.

The stake fell down the stairs, and stopped near the kitchen door. "Finn, the stake!" Sage cried. Finn saw where it had landed and rushed after it.

"Now!" Elena shouted, bursting through the door, aiming her crossbow. With Matt standing close behind her, she shot Finn, causing him the stumble back on the stairs.

"Finn!" Sage shouted.

Matt, hurriedly picked up the stake and stabbed Finn, through the heart.

"No!" Sage cried, as she ran down the stairs.

Elena rushed back into the kitchen, while Stefan stayed at the top of the stairs. He watched Sage holding Finn, crying and shouted as loudly as she could. She held Finn's face, as his body started turning grey. "No." Suddenly, flames appeared all around Finn's body. Sage, immediately backed away. She walked back up a few stairs and collapsed near the top.

Elena raced through the back entrance and ran straight towards Stefan.

Stefan turned and saw Elena running towards him. She reached out her arms, and fiercely wrapped them around him.

Elena buried her face in his shirt, "Are you okay?!" she cried, as her hands clung to his jacket.

Stefan placed his arms around her. "I'm fine." "Hey," he added, lifting Elena's face up to meet his. "We did it." "You did it," he stated, trying to comfort her.

Elena sighed and forced herself to smile. Stefan was right, they had done it, without getting hurt.

Their hands melted together, as they walked away from the building.


End file.
